Four Fast Ways to Import and Export Chrome Bookmarks

Manually moving your favorite websites around takes way too much time. Luckily for you, there’s a way to save and transfer them all at once. We’re here to tell you how you can do it in a few easy steps. Here’s how to import and export Chrome bookmarks to any new device, default search engine or separate Google account.

Can You Transfer Google Chrome Bookmarks?

As of 2023, you can simultaneously transfer all of your bookmarks to another phone, computer, Google account or search engine. To do so, you need to back them up and then restore them. Using the import and export tools is the most straightforward way to get this done. Frankly, you should probably expect the process to be easy since Chrome is the top default browser in the world.

Using the export feature allows you to save all of your bookmarks at once. It’s super helpful if you have a ton of them. When you finish, they’ll appear in your manager as “imported.” The import tool lets you share or download the file anywhere you want. 

Why Should You Save and Transfer Them?

You should save and transfer the websites you’ve favorited if you use various search engines, multiple devices or different Google accounts. If you don’t, your bookmarks manager will be entirely empty and you’ll have to start from scratch. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s definitely pretty annoying to deal with.

This method is also practical if you think your bookmarks might disappear. For example, students who use their school email address won’t be able to take them when they graduate. The same applies to most professionals with a separate Google account specifically for work. 

Alternatively, maybe you just found some cool websites you want to turn into a tidy HTML format and share with your friends. Whatever your reason is, know saving Chrome bookmarks gives your favorites a digital safety net. Think of it like extra protection against the unknown. 

How Do You Export Chrome Bookmarks?

You can export Chrome bookmarks to different computers, Google accounts and search engines, depending on which method you use. The best two are manual and automatic. 

1. Manually

You’ll need to go to your manager to manually export Chrome bookmarks. To get there, open your browser and hit Ctrl + Shift + O on Windows or Command + Option + B on Mac. Click the three vertical dots in the top right and select “Export bookmarks” to download them. You can save the HTML file anywhere and rename it if you want to.

2. Automatically

If you turn on Google’s Sync feature, your account information backs up and can transfer to new accounts and devices — meaning you can automatically export Chrome bookmarks. To see if you have it enabled, open your browser’s settings by tapping the three vertical dots in the top right of the window. 

It should bring you to the “You and Google” page. From there, select “Sync and Google services” to see if the feature is on. If it’s off, press the button to enable it. You can go to “Review your synced data” to see if your bookmarks are there.

If you want to control what syncs across your devices, hit “Manage what you sync” and toggle your options on or off. Keep in mind you’ll need to use the manual option if you plan on changing accounts or search engines. 

How Do You Import Chrome Bookmarks?

You can import Chrome bookmarks to restore them on your new Google account, computer or search engine using one of these two methods. 

1. HTML File

You can import Chrome bookmarks almost the same way you exported them. Go to your manager with Ctrl + Shift + O on Windows or Command + Option + B on Mac. Click the three vertical dots in the top right and select “Import bookmarks” to upload the HTML file you saved. This works on new Google accounts, devices and search engines. 

2. Bookmarks and Settings

The “Import bookmarks and settings” feature is helpful if you want to upload many things at once. At the very least, it’s an alternative if the first option doesn’t work for you. To access it, open Chrome, click the three vertical dots in the top right and hover over “Bookmarks.” 

When you select it, it takes you to a new page with a pop-up. Here, you can choose to import your browsing history, bookmarks and search engines. If you select “Bookmark HTML file” from the dropdown menu, you’ll follow the same last steps as the HTML process.

What Should You Do If Sync Doesn’t Work?

Chrome bookmarks not syncing is a reasonably common issue because plenty of things can cause it. Fortunately for you, the fixes are quick and straightforward. The first option you have is the classic “turn it off and on again” technique — disable the Sync feature on the “Sync and Google services” page. You can turn it back on after a minute or so.

If that doesn’t work, update your browser since it can start to act up when it’s too far out of date. The option should appear in the top right of the window. Click the three vertical dots in the top right, hover over “Help” and click “About Google Chrome.” It should automatically update itself, so the only thing left for you to do is to hit the “Relaunch” button.

Your third best option is to check your settings. Sync can turn off when you sign out or close the browser, causing the Chrome bookmarks syncing issue. To fix it, select “Privacy and security” and then “Third-party cookies.” Scroll down until you see an “Add” button below “Customized behaviors” and add “accounts.google.com.”

Now You Can Import and Export Chrome Bookmarks 

Being able to export Chrome bookmarks lets you protect all your precious favorite websites from syncing and account errors. When you’re ready, importing them is as easy as selecting the HTML file. It’s a helpful feature even if you aren’t changing accounts or devices.